Drowning in the Dark Abyss
by Sparkly NekoTea
Summary: Yuki had been quite the enigma after being a trainee. She talked less and interacted poorly but if there was one person who she seemed comfortable with. It was the blonde haired boy, Armin Arlert. She seemed to have formed a strange affinity towards him... or.. is that what it really seems?
1. Prologue

Drowning in the Dark Abyss

~Prologue~

The crisp wind blew away the locks of the small lone girl that stared out of the horizon. The sun was long gone and the moon and stars accompanied her as she watched the silent scenery unfold in front of her. The night was as young as she is but her eyes showed nothing of the vibrant energy a child her age should have been carrying.

"Out here again?.. Aren't you even cold, onee san?"

The young girl, broken from her trance glanced up to see another figure, standing next to her with questioning dark eyes.

"No. It isn't that cold. Aren't you cold yourself? You aren't even wearing your jacket? You haven't lost it, have you or did you get caught up again in a fight and had it torn somewhere that it is now beyond repair?"

The boy, hesitant to answer the stoic girl opted to sit right next to her and stare at the same scenery. You didn't really need to wear a jacket when your body was used to the temperature during this time and right now it was quite a few degrees warmer. Unable to stand the silence, the boy speaks up again to spark a conversation.

"Nee~ onee san is always reading that big thick book back at home, right?"

The girl remained silent though the fleeting side glance she gave showed that she was listening nevertheless.

"What does it… talk about?"

A small gust of wind blew before the answer slid out her lips.

"The outside world."

"The outside… world...?"

She nodded then a small smile carved into her face naturally.

"A world we haven't seen yet. It's strange… we're born into this world but because of 'Them' we holed up into these walls like rats, unable to fully explore the vast lands and sceneries this world has to give. I'm bored… seeing just the same sceneries whenever we climb these walls. Just those big trees over there..."

"If you're bored... Then why do you even bother coming up here every night to look at them?"

"Because I don't see the sceneries that you perceive… I see the lands I see in the book; I imagine them right in front of me... Only... They're too far away..."

"And that's when reality kicks in, huh?"

She nods helplessly, the once apathetic expression gone and replaced by a hint of sadness before the young girl regained it back and with a sigh stood up, causing the boy to look at her.

"We better get home. Mom must be worried and Father will be furious to find us missing."

The boy nods in agreement and also stands up, giving the scene a last glance then follows the girl who was already scaling the walls as she went down. As they reached the safety of the ground, he smiled as determination passed over his face.

"When we grow up, we should go on a trip outside these walls! Then we can explore those lands you talked about"

Amused with his interest she shakes her head, the smile returning to her features

"And what about 'them'...? These walls were built for a reason, remember?"

"hmmm… then just join those soldiers that kill 'em and then we can explore"

The petite girl blinked at the idea then shook her head again.

"Let's just get home before Father does. I don't want to get scolded"

As they trudged the roads towards their home, the boy's words echoed within the girls head.

'_Joining the soldiers to erase the hindrances that plague the world, destroy 'them', who drove us into this small haven and finally be able to see the world and its beauty. It's not that impossible but it's not also easy but then so is life… right?'_

As she passed by, she saw different people roaming around. Would she want to be like them? Content and happy living within the walls when there is a lot more to see. No, she thought. She doesn't like it at all. She needs to get out of this wall that has entrapped them. She refused to be ensnared by these blinded people's beliefs. She needed to feel free…

"Say, Cielo… do you remember what those soldiers call themselves again?"

"The ones who slay 'them'…? Uhh… I think it was.. Recon Corps?"

"Recons, huh…" she muttered under her breath. The smile had grew into a smirk, there was a new plan worth devising!


	2. Chapter 1

Drowning in the Dark Abyss

Chapter 1: The Enigmatic Girl

The whole room was filled with relentless chatter as the trainees ate their dinner. It was nearly almost the same as everyday; a nearly toasted –if not burnt- bread, a plate of bland stew and one measly boiled potato. As if military rations were bad enough, this may be one of the reasons as to why there are less people joining in. The part that at least offered comfort despite the unjustifiable meal was the company they themselves have between them. The chats about lessons, the complains about the teachers and training, the flaunting of skills and more offered these young in-training soldiers all the relaxation and ease for a whole days grueling and tiring drills and routines, even the usual Jean vs Eren fights has become part of the rituals.

At the far corner, however, the startling mixture of brown-black eyes stared half-lidded upon the pages of the book, the letters seemingly boring the girl than sparking her interest. Her propped elbows supported her head that was resting on her clenched fist as she flipped through the pages languidly. This wasn't new to anyone at all, anyone within the 104th squad, that is. If someone can compete with Annie in being a lone wolf, Miyuki Gazer would be the perfect match and opponent.

Yuki was a good combatant and is at par with Annie in hand-combat and has half of Mikasa's ability with the 3D Maneuver Gear. She is an average scorer at academics and would have been just as good as top theoretician, Armin. If not for one problem, she lacked any motivation of actually excelling. She was content at being "good enough" and doesn't actually show her hidden potential. Her classmates aren't the only people who are puzzled by this for even the instructors have questioned this behavior of the young girl. Nevertheless, the girl remained oblivious and turned a cold shoulder to it.

Yuki sighed and closed the small paperback book and pocketed it as she glanced out the window, her dark eyes were in their usual dreamy state. They were black from afar but when you inch closer they start becoming a chocolate brown, and when rays of light hit them, they suddenly turn into a lighter shade; something akin to amber. The girls had all concluded that this mirrored her attitude; saying that she was a dark outside but inside she must be as soft and light as her third eye color could be. Unfortunately, no one had gotten close as to opening up to her. And even now, no one seemed to dare to talk to the silent girl but that didn't meant no attempts were being made. She was cold but somehow though she didn't rebuke anyone who talked to her yet, she was just straightforwardly impassive and her eyes always seemed to be in a state where they seemed to look deep into you, reading you.

The bell rang, signaling the end of dinner and the start for all the weary trainees of the 104th squad to hit the sack. The lone girl stood up, first to make her way out of the crowd without much of a word. A few eyes followed her exit, mostly those who have tried and still have attempts to make the girl open up to them.

No one may know much about her but that doesn't mean it'll remain that way. There will be a time when everything takes a toll and one must finally let go of the pain.


	3. Chapter 2

Drowning in the Dark Abyss Chapter 2

The whole thing was a blur, a flurry of different swirling colors that made up no shape or form. Like mixed colors in a palette albeit dull and bleak, like a sick man's vomit. The sounds and noises she heard were without a doubt, voices of people. People who seemed to scream and shout at her but none seemed to be coherent enough to be understood. She felt drowned, suffocated by the mass of inexplicable things that surrounded her.

'Stop'

She pleaded but to no avail, the scene persisted, smothering the air out of her as she fell to her knees, ears covered.

'Stop please!'

The feeling persisted and she felt nausea overcome her, she felt so sick. Oh, won't someone come to help? Anybody…?

"Nee sama!"

From all the overwhelming irrational noises she heard came one familiar sound, one familiar voice.

"Nee sama!"

It felt far away; an echo from a distant place that is calling for her.

"Nee sama! Hurry up! Nee sama!"

Without any hesitation, she broke into a run. Mindless of where she was headed to, letting her shaking legs take her anywhere, somewhere away from that insanity.

"Nee sama! Hurry up! Hurry up, slowpoke!"

She ran faster, panting with the effort it took for her to run at full speed. Her escape long forgotten as she was finally able to lift her head and search for the source of the voice.

From afar, a silhouette of a young boy waved at her, beckoning for her to come towards him. A flood of mixed emotions filled her as she dashed towards the child. She felt glad, happy at the sight of this kid. Tears stung her eyes as she struggled to get to where the lad was. She has to get there! She has to-!

"Nee sama!"

The sudden urgency and alarm that filled his voice startled her to a stop. To her surprise, pandemonium filled her ears as a mob of panicked people brushed her aside so abruptly, air was nearly forced out her lungs.

"Help me! Nee sama!"

She struggled through the crowd, even pushing the civilians aside as she fought her way against the current to reach the end. That boy, she has to reach him! She could still hear his pleads of help and it was an enough reason for her to push through this mindless frenzy. Upon reaching the end however, the sight horrified her enough to knock the strength on her knees. A gigantic hand grabbed the boy who struggled and writhed to escape, but it was futile as the giant clamped the life out of him.

"N….. No,… Th-This…. Can't-..!"

The ground shook under her feet as the ominous feeling of death overcame her. Her breathing heavy as she tried to look up as much as her courage allowed her to. There in front of her, came the deformed face of the monstrosity that devoured the child, its face smeared with fresh blood. She felt sick when it smiled at her, bits of human flesh stuck on the gaps of its teeth, its breath reeking of death. She saw the hand reach out for her, death looming heavily upon her. Her legs suddenly felt like lead, her body refusing to move any longer as though it had already given up on the endless escape.

No!

NO! She can't die like this! She can't… She mustn't!

The hand was nearer, about to close on her.

No! She must escape! She can't die! She can't!

The vice-like grip enclosed upon her, pain shooting on every part of her body and she writhed, screamed and struggled against death.

'I shouldn't die like this! I couldn't I have to live… I have to live because…'

"Yuki…. Yuki! YUKI!"

The fair haired girl shot up awake, beads of sweat matted her face and her breathing heavy. She turned to the side to see a familiar blonde haired girl facing her as the haze dissipated.

"Are you okay?" she asked again, blue eyes laced with sisterly-like concern

"Ch-Christa?" she stammered as she pushed herself up to sit. "Wh-What happened?"

"W-Well, you were suddenly writhing and screaming so we got worried and checked on you" The pale haired girl explained as she sat at the edge of the bed.

"You were screaming so loud we thought someone trespassed our dorm. A nightmare?" Ymir asked.

The girl only nodded at this and with a sigh, she put a hand to her head.

"I'm sorry for waking you guys up and bothering your sleep…"

"N-No! Its fine.. It's almost time for us to rise anyways" Christa gave a reassuring smile at her while she waved her hands.

"Yeah. Your screaming was the best alarm clock to have us moving. You should do it more often every morning" Ymir joked, only to receive a light jab on the shoulder from the other girl.

"That wasn't a good joke, Ymir!" she scolded.

"Hey, it was a joke. No offense meant to Yuki" the brown haired girl defended as she rubbed her shoulder, complaining of her fake pain from the frail jab.

The small argument ensued until a light chuckle put them to a stop, urging them to turn to the nearly forgotten girl on the bed.

"There's no need to fuss about it, Christa. Like Ymir said, it was a joke." Yuki smiled, her expression was gentle as she stared at the two. Her usually blackish-brown eyes, lighting up into brilliant amber color.

The two was awestruck at the sight, they knew Yuki's eyes had a dazzling hidden color to it but they've never encountered it, until this day. The lustrous color it carried was akin to that of a precious gem and anyone who would have seen it would be entranced to stare for hours on end.

"We should be getting ready for today's activities. We wouldn't want instructor Shadis cursing on our tardiness" she gave one last smile before sliding off the bed, making her way towards the showers as she swiftly grabbed her towel.

"Was that really… Did she just…?" Christa stuttered, unable to even complete her words.

"She smiled…" Ymir finished for her in a daze.

This wasn't a surprise, at all. Yuki was quite the enigma for everyone in the 104th trainee's squad. If there was one person who seemed to fit as a complete human puzzle for everyone, it was Yuki. The girl managed to keep a low profile by being a mystery herself. Her personality, for example, seemed to be a mix of what is supposed to be contradictory. She was cold and yet she was also approachable, though usually soft spoken, she has the ability to raise her voice in order to dominate and take control. This antagonizing personality and her ability to keep herself in the dark is what kept her inscrutable to everyone's eyes. However, when within a secluded place with a few people to keep her company, her usual façade seems to dissipate into thin air, resulting to this light mannered girl that Ymir and Christa just witnessed themselves. It was as though she felt more at ease when in front of a smaller group, whether that had meant she trusts them or not, however, also deemed to be undetermined.

"I let my guard down a bit" Yuki mumbled as she stepped into the showers and hung the towel on a hook.

"I rarely smile with that much intensity… I might need to expect the whole thing out of their mouths and into the whole squad. Why can't you just keep your smiles to yourself Yuki?"

The girl sighed as she felt the warm water splash onto her body. The whole shower room was empty as it was a lot earlier than she thought. Typical of Christa to lie to make you feel better but then she couldn't really hate the idea of bathing alone; after all, she was the one who had the habit of basking in the silence of solitude. Her thoughts where in a whirl when she was alone and she had the habit to contemplate on them, it made her feel at ease to stay in that side of her head. This time though, she didn't feel quite comfortable with how her train of thoughts were coming to.

That dream.

It seemed familiar, it seemed like a memory… a memory she had thrown away and buried deep at the back of her mind and now has resurfaced to haunt her. She shook her head, drops of water flung into mid-air from the strands of her hair. This wasn't a memory she buried but she had to admit it wasn't worth reliving either. The chestnut haired girl gave another sigh, exasperated. She had a lot more things to tackle than one measly disturbing dream; she can have time for that later, alone. For now, it was best she focus on today's course of events. She needs to keep her grades at a good position so she wouldn't fail, she didn't need to be top, and passing was more than enough to her, after all, her choice after graduation wasn't like the blind cadets who chose to be in the impracticable Police Military. She couldn't even understand why people look up to them so much! They were useless and a bunch of prideful oafs! The girl hastily grabbed her towel, drying herself.

'I'm thinking too much. I need to lay off a bit' she thought as she covered herself with the towel. 'And my smiles don't really kill people, its high time I show a little more emotion… I guess'

~~~Time Skip~~~

As one could expect, the whole day was a matter of jotting down notes on lectures, skills training and taking in curses from the always-on-a-bad-mood Keith Shadis. Every day could be called a repetition if not maybe of the loops they used. This time, as though mentally draining the students were not enough they had focused more on combat practice and with new sparring partners. Yuki glanced over Christa; it seems she won't be seeing the kind blonde girl as her sparring partner now.

"Today, we decided that you little shits spar with the opposite gender! Understood?"

After a few minutes –that seemed like hours to everyone— the whole list of who should spar with who was given.

Eren and Annie

Mikasa and Jean

Bertholdt and Ymir

And Miyuki…?

The light brown haired girl stared at the frail boy in front of her; though her expression was blank she slightly pitied him. For someone who seemed quite timid, being in the military didn't seem to be the correct option.

'A blonde again, huh? Seriously Shadis, what is up with you for pairing me up with the flaxen haired people? Mostly, why was it always the frail ones?'

Seeing as she had no other choice, she sighed and acknowledged her sparring mate.

"Armin, correct?"

"Y-Yes" he stuttered as he looked up at her.

"Let's start now, before Shadis catches us slacking"

She threw the wooden knife at the boy and clumsily, the lad was able to catch it with a sigh.

"I permit you to attack first" she informed, her stance posing no threat or defense.

"E-Eh?.." Armin nods rather hesitantly as he grips the knife shakily with both hands and in a blink of an eye tries to attack.

Yuki's dull eyes blink momentarily into their lighter color as she immediately maneuvers herself away from the knife's trajectory and grabs the boy's hand, immediately putting it behind him to disable and disarm him as well. As soon as she got hold of the dagger she let go of him, leaving the boy to rub his shoulder, disappointed.

"Not bad, Armin. Fast but not enough." she smiled lightly, her eye color brightening slightly. "However, I have reason to believe you never experienced knife combats"

The boy simply nods at her statement and looks away as he sat, his expression sober.

"I… I'm not into violence…"

"I thought as much, but you see, Arlert. We'll need to learn to defend ourselves. I see no reason why we have to learn hand in hand combat by ourselves but… I know it can save our lives more than once to know how to defend. We don't know… when our life will be taken that is why, we must know how to protect that too" Yuki pointed out as she flipped the wooden weapon to her other hand.

With an outstretched hand, Yuki offered to help him stand up to which the boy accepted. She handed the dagger back to him and instead of being at a distance like before, stood closer to him.

"I think I should teach you a few things about using this wooden weapon before we actually engage into a spar battle."

The blonde boy blinked with askance before nodding and holding the dagger with both hands. Yuki noticed his evident shaking.

"Armin, stop shaking. Take a deep breath and calm yourself."

Armin nodded and did so, immediately calming down to which the girl praised with a smile.

"Good. Now lower your center of gravity that way you cannot easily be taken down"

Yuki instructed him fully and patiently, allowing her new partner to be able to absorb everything she was teaching him. Correcting his stance, incorporating some vital defensive knowledge like blocking and when to strike an opponent; be it defensive or offensive.

The girl didn't have a hard time as the boy slowly caught on with her words, like a docile student to a teacher. He listened and observed her attentively when teaching him. Armin felt slightly hesitant to be taught at first but as the time ticked by and as Yuki's scolding lessened, his confidence boosted albeit slightly as he mastered the various techniques. He couldn't even believe how much interest he was having when once-upon-a-time he used to see no sense with all of it. Something was compelling him to learn.

Was it Yuki's dominance over him?

Her persistence…?

Her encouraging…?

Her…..

'Maybe… it was just my eagerness' the boy thought, setting aside his train of thoughts with a light blush.

"Nice work, Armin. Your training is taking effect."

Armin looked up to see a water flask being waved in front of him.

"Th-Thanks" he stammered as he took the container, taking a small sip.

"They're at it again" Yuki sighed exasperatedly as she sat down beside him, staring at the scene a few meters away from them.

Armin followed her gaze, spotting a small crowd from afar, hooting and shouting with excitement.

"It's probably Jean and Eren again..." he muttered under his breath as he watched the sight.

"I'm not surprised at all; those two are always at it. Fighting for god knows whatever the reason is" she replied, taking a sip from her own flask.

The blonde boy nods, even he himself who is long used to Eren and his antics couldn't even figure out the cause of friction between the two. They're fights just seem to become more random with each passing day, more of like a rivalry on something farcical.

This was as normal as life can get for the military trainees. Eren and Jean's farce, even Connie and Sasha's hilarious antics were the only things that spiced up the dull stuff that filled their lives. That was one of the main reasons why everybody was urging the two into a duel until the instructor steps in to interrupt the fight.

"I wonder how much bruises and cuts they will get before Instructor Shadis comes in?" Yuki asked, her gaze was glued onto the crowd.

Armin's glance slowly turned into a stare as he observed her. She seemed to be immersed in whatever she was pondering on as her eyes reverted to their rather lazy gaze, the one you mostly see her with. Despite that fact, however, Armin found himself staring at the stunning dark mix of the black and brown color of her eye. She heard from Christa and Ymir that they turned lighter when she smiled and the boy couldn't help but imagine how that would look like.

"Uhh… Armin? What are you staring at me like that for?"

The boy's face turned red as he snapped out of his trance, his flaxen colored hair making his face turn darker shades of red.

"N-Nothing… Nothing r-really" he chuckled nervously, his gaze averted from hers.

Yuki tried to stifle her laugh but failed miserably as she burst into a fit of giggles, making the boy turn back to her.

"I was just… asking. There was no need to get flustered, Arlert" she was still suffering from the erupting giggles and the boy turned his gaze away yet again, still carrying the red hue on his face.

Noticing that she might have slightly offended him, she puts a hand to his head to ruffle the soft yellow locks with a smile.

"Sorry about that, I got a little too overboard… you just looked kind of cute when you backed off" she explained then stood up, smiling.

To Armin's surprise, her eyes turned to a lighter dazzling color akin to that of an imperial topaz. Bedazzled by its beauty as he stared nearly slack jawed at her.

"I'm going to the mess hall first. I'd rather eat bad tasting food than nothing at all"

The blonde managed a nod before watching her run off while Mikasa and Eren approached their flabbergasted friend.

"Hey Armin…? Wanna get some food?" Eren asked as he tended to a few bruises he received from both the training and the following brawl.

"Armin?" Mikasa's voice was laced with concern when the boy failed to answer.

"I…. saw something…. Beautiful" Came his late reply which sent the two other teens, shrugging in confusion.


	4. Chapter 3

Drowning in the Dark Abyss Chapter 3

The rays of the moon reached into the dim room, illuminating a small part of it from the windows. The whole room had been silent, except for the few audible snores that came from the sleeping male trainees. All had been asleep, too tired from today's antics and training. This was the only time when they could ease their sore bodies and rest from the endless training of yesterday and the upcoming ones of tomorrow.

Despite the calm and sleep inviting aura of the room, a certain boy found it hard to sleep, even for just a wink. He tossed and turned around his bed, however sleep just seemed to evade him, robbing him of his right to rest for the night. His flaxen hair was now a mess as he faced the ceiling with a disgruntled look.

Armin has never been this restless. If there was one person who would almost hit the sack immediately when night fell, it was him. This night, however, proved to be an exception he would never have considered, he had already finished the book he had borrowed from the library in his attempts to tire himself out. To no avail, sleep seemed persistent enough to dodge him tonight. He sighed, blowing off a few strands of his fringes. It was bothersome and yet somehow, he would just feel like welcoming it as an old guest within his head.

The truth was that every time the boy attempted to close his eyes, a pair of glimmering topaz-like eyes would stare back at him, accompanied by a dazzling smile that belonged to an equally bedazzling girl with light brown flowing hair and graceful movements as she ran off. At this time, the young man would immediately shot up, awake and blushing as sleep once again shirked out of his grip, sniggering.

Giving up on any final attempts, he resolved to just take a midnight stroll around the grounds, opting for wherever his subconscious may prefer to take him. Slowly, he slipped out of the covers, feeling for his slippers and coat in the dark. Careful that he doesn't alert any of the boy's deep slumber, he walked away from the dorm, his light footfalls barely making a sound. The cool night breeze welcomed him as he closed the door after him.

The surroundings was as clear as day, the moon's silver rays provided him with enough light to traverse whichever path he chooses to take. Armin, wrapped his coat around his body as he looked around, searching for a place to stay until sleep comes over. He found himself eyeing the small shack from afar, the place he knew best would relax him in any time of the day.

'The library'

The blonde boy hesitated, however, with a shake of his head. This was no time to be in that place and besides there was no reason for anyone to be within the library at such an hour.

One more problem;

IT WAS LOCKED!

His blue eyes then locked onto another place, somewhere everyone knew very well.

'The Mess Hall?'

Armin cringed at the thought. He wasn't the kind of person to lurk around the place, maybe Sasha would but definitely not him. Besides, the place looked eerily perfect for a murder case or to catch ghosts in their midnight stroll. Who then would be in their right minds would dare to even go there?! The boy shook his head in distaste, there wasn't anywhere to go. The training grounds for the soldiers was much too small and was far too isolated to have anywhere to stroll on a sleepless nights. The boy sighed; there was no way he could get rid of the haunting of that pretty faced gir-.

"Armin?"

The flaxen-haired boy blinked at the sound of his name. Then, mentally he facepalmed himself, he wasn't even closing his eyes yet and here he is still thinking of her?! What was wrong with him!

"Armin…"

'Focus Armin' he scolded himself, distracting himself from his so-called 'thoughts'. He should better keep himself from getting distracted or an instruc—

A light tap on his shoulder made him jump in surprise, his heart racing in his chest.

'Am I in trouble now?!'

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

Yuki sat up on her bunk, restless and irked as she sighed exasperatedly. She had been trying to catch some sleep only to end up in a futile game of tag with her elusive adversary. Giving up on the thought, she silently slipped off her bed and crept out of her barracks.

Air... She needed some air and it surely wasn't the stale air within this silent shack.

The moon sure was beautiful tonight and its rays illuminated enough light to guide her around the place. The girl would have normally preferred to read a book during a sleepless night, today however, was an exception. She couldn't risk waking up the girls just to have them pester her over and over again and end up sleepless with her comrades dragged along the whole night! It seemed after her unprecedented smile this morning towards Christa and Ymir, the whole of girl's barracks had their own attempts on trying to make her smile. Surprisingly, even the ever-so-stoic Mikasa had her own attempts of frivolous acts just for the sake of her rare smile.

Did she really smile so rarely that after one heedless act of smiling; they suddenly felt determined to see it themselves? Yuki could only shake her head at the answer.

With a deep breath, she finally inhaled the cool fresh evening air. She felt her lungs relax at the newfound oxygen.

It has been a while since she last snuck out for fresh air. Last time, she was almost caught dead by Shadis that she had to cease her leisure night walks to keep her out of suspicion. Fortunately, not an utter was told about the topic though Yuki felt as though the instructor knew something about it.

Shrugging the nudging feeling away, she cautiously paced about the training grounds, heedful of any movement. It may be the middle of the night but you never know where a hidden instructor maybe lurking to catch some rule-breaking cadets. Upon turning to a corner, a lone silhouette came to view, emerging from the darkness as the girl hid from sight to assess the figure from afar.

Too short to be an instructor and too lean to be considered a threat, she noted mentally as she kept her gaze locked on the dark figure.

Slowly, the person moved towards the elucidating light of the moon and a head of bright yellow erupted from within the shadows. Relief somehow flooded her senses at the sight, she knew only of one person with that height and hair, in fact, she knew him only now.

Seeing her caution dissipate, she –with astounding silence- approached the idle boy. After all, the lone cadet may as well have the same directive as her as he seemed to be assessing some places around the place.

"Armin?" she called out, to her surprise though, the boy seemingly dismissed her voice with a shake of his head.

"Armin…" still no response, not a turn of his gaze or head was given to her direction.

Mentally exasperated and determined to make her presence known, she tapped his shoulder only to feel him jump in surprise. His face as he turned her exhibited fear, enough to make him pale and teary-eyed. Yuki had to keep herself from chuckling at the sight. How the heck could he look so damn adorable and yet hilarious at the same time?

"You look like you saw a ghost, Arlert." She smirked, finally regaining composure.

"Y-Yuki!" despite his apparent shock, his frame relaxed immediately. "I – I was just afraid the instructor caught me" he smiled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck accompanied by a small chuckle.

"I doubt the instructors would bother to do a patrol walk this late an hour but we do have every reason to be cautious. This is a rule-breaking feat"

A moment of silence ensued between them followed by a simultaneous sigh.

"Can't sleep?"

The boy only nodded. "Y-You too?"

With another sigh, she gave a nod of her own as she stared out into the deep forest a few feet away from them.

"Mind if we took a walk somewhere?"

"J-Just us?!"

Yuki blinked both at his question and reaction, a brow raised as she failed to notice the pink tinge on his cheeks.

"Obviously, unless you plan to wake Jaeger up to tag along with us which of course, I don't mind."

"No, no… I… I was just…" Armin dismissed his thoughts with another shake of his head, he seemed uncomfortable but perhaps, he was just restless as well. "Where do we go?"

Yuki scanned the grounds with keen observation before answering.

"The library is with no doubt closed at this hour and though the mess hall is still probably open, it isn't a place I'm willing to acquaint myself with… Do you mind if we took a walk in the woods?" she suggested as her eyes fell upon the dense forest, her stare somehow, longing.

"The woods?... Why there?"

A gentle smile graced her features as she turned to him.

"I just happen to know a great place to spend my time in there"


	5. Chapter 4

Drowning in the Dark Abyss

Chapter 4

The walk wasn't a long and treacherous one but Armin refused to consider it short either. There were countless of times when Yuki stopped walking to assess their surroundings only to see a few nocturnal animals going about their usual business. Yuki had reasons to be cautious after all, she was downright, breaking rules with an unlikely companion. It was one thing to wander around the forest alone but it's another to drag an innocent looking boy who was completely an improbable culprit. It felt like a crime!

After what had seemed like a whole hour of trekking, stumbling and tripping – much to the blonde's embarrassment – they arrived to be what seemed like a ledge with an over looking view of a the small lake below. The moon lit the whole cliff and gave a sparkling illumination towards the water below; somehow, the trouble was worth it like always.

"Well, here we are! Pretty sight, huh Armin?" Yuki smiled as she sat on a fallen log, gesturing for him to sit beside her.

The blonde boy nods, gingerly sitting beside her as he smiles back.

"I-I've been here before…" he muttered as he scanned the whole area.

"You have?"

"Yes, with Bertholdt and Reiner! That was the time when Eren couldn't manage to somehow balance himself on our first test for the maneuver gear."

Yuki blinked in disbelief, she did remember the Jaeger boy struggle to pass only to realize he was working with faulty equipment but she never heard the boys snuck out the night before. She waved the thought away, passing it off as silly. Of course, if the boys got caught they would never be here and was probably thrown back into the main land.

"I never thought you'd manage to be a rule breaker, you don't seem like it" she commented as she stared ahead at the trees in front of them

"I don't really seem like it, huh?"

"Nope, people would think you're lying if you ever pulled out this feat to boast about."

Armin just nodded at the statement, after all, he was one of the person's people would barely blame for something. He looked so frail and weak that people probably thought of him as highly improbably for any ruthless act. His effeminate features and somewhat gentle manners didn't help him either. As far as he knew, he was the one to be protected; he was the one who stands there watching everything in front of him. He wasn't much of an action man. That he was strongly sure of.

"But then again, even the innocent of all faces can just be a mask to hide something more. You just can never be too sure."

Armin turned towards the girl whose expression turned somewhat into a daze, as though she was recollecting a memory at the back of her head and reliving it in front of her. Her smile faded from her lips, returning to the dull line she would usually have in front of other people. This was the face the young man was used to seeing her with, the bored eyes, the emotionless expression and the attitude that said she had lost interest in the world, this was why it surprised him and everyone else to find this side of her, if she ever dared to let anyone see it. A part of her that everyone thought had been erased by whatever horrors she has seen in the past.

Horrors…? Armin asked as his mind went back to the stories he had heard from Bertholdt and Eren. They had both seen the titans and how they devour people unlike him, but could it be that she had seen them as well? Kieth did pass by her on their introductory day and most of the people he had shouted at had no idea of what a titan looked like and had huddled into a circle around Eren when he talked about the fall of their town.

"Say, Yuki… Have you… ever encountered the titans?" he asked, cautious with his words.

The girl snapped out of her trance and turned to stare at him, her eye color changing to a cross between topaz and dark brown.

"I did. I was with my family when the fall of Zhiganshina happened and everything went into a complete chaos, a pandemonium of shouts and cries of fear and despair. After that, I resolved to join the military. When we graduate, I will enlist for the Recons then, there will be no more turning back" She stated firmly, her words blazing with the determination one can feel strongly as she spoke.

A moment of silence followed her statement as no one dared to speak. The blonde boy was shocked, too taken aback to say anything or to have words escape his mouth. She was there when his town was trampled by the gigantic fiends. Was her situation akin to Eren? He could imagine how traumatic it could have been for her and it made his admiration grow. He admired her that despite her dreadful experience she still managed to join and enlist herself as a trainee. He would have probably never have joined to be a soldier if it weren't for his friends. It would seem he was too attached to his friends that he'd dare follow them anywhere. He doubted he'll be able to continue it though, with how he was faring with the physical training.

"You probably think I'm enlisting because of the titans? A reason akin to that of your best friend?" she asked with a knowing smirk to which the boy just nodded.

"You're mistaken then. I will enlist to the Recon to slay the titans and to help them gain more knowledge of the titans, as is their mission. However, the reason why I have chosen the Recon is because… I promised… I have two promises hanging on this work alone. And I don't break promises."


End file.
